Under the Rules of Suspension they were operating under (not sure why, but it’s what it was), a 2/3 vote was needed in the House to pass legislation funding various agencies. [If someone has a procedural explanation, please post in comments.]

Democrats in the House voted against funding the Veterans Administration, the District of Columbia and National Parks, including the Holocaust Memorial Museum and Smithsonian.

My understanding is that suspension of the rules in the House is a way for the House to take up a matter on the floor immediately. The motion is something like, “motion to suspend the rules and pass X”. Debate is very limited. There is a single vote which applies to both the suspension and X. It requires a 2/3 affirmative vote to pass. If the vote fails, X may still be taken up according to normal House rules (which takes time).

Also provides a way for “moderate” Dems (pretend to be moderate at home and then vote for everything SanFranNan orders) to vote ‘for’ these things, knowing that the bill, needing a 2/3 majority, won’t pass. This provides a little cover back home.

So the stock market had a nice recovery after a 5 day skid today. Perhaps the liberal media fear mongering for the shutdown was more damaging than the event itself?

My trash was picked up on time, my mail was delivered, my water is running, and my electricity is on. Also, I still got paid at my job from a state-funded institution of higher learning (with a Republican former senator as President I might add).

The District of Columbia isn’t getting funded? I can only pray this causes the lights to go out in DC. Maybe garbage will not get picked up, though any increase in the DC stench would barely be noticeable.